Following its UK Premiere opening hcmf// 2022, Roman Grygoriv and Illia Razumeiko’s Chornobyldorf has won a Royal Philharmonic Society Award in the Opera and Music Theatre category.
Chornobyldorf. Archaeological opera in seven novels was conceived by Ukrainian composers, stage directors and librettists Grygoriv and Razumeiko, collaborating as Opera Aperta. Inspired by the impact of nuclear power on our world, the contemporary media-opera tells the story of descendants of humanity who have survived a series of man-made and climate disasters and are now building a post-apocalyptic settlement on the ruins of a nuclear powerplant.
Chornobyldorf was announced winner of the Opera and Music Theatre category at the 2024 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards, held on Tuesday 5 March at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. It was praised as “a breathtaking portrait of humanity’s need for spiritual and cultural sustenance in the wake of shattering global events.”
Acknowledging the award, composer Illia Razumeiko said: “It’s a surprise for us, because we’re not really a British opera. But it’s a very nice recognition, because we were nominated alongside two of the largest opera houses in the world with huge budgets. And our self-proclaimed opera studio, which occupies 20 square metres in the Composers’ Union, has won over these giants of the opera industry. We are very grateful to all our partners.”
Composer Roman Grygoriv added: “In fact, this is not a personal award, it is an award of Ukraine. Such things should be brought to the public and we should be proud of them, because it is a real confirmation of our resilience and responsibility for the cultural life of the country.”
Graham McKenzie, hcmf// Chief Executive and Artistic Director, said: “We were extremely proud to host the World Premiere of this stunning piece that opened the 2022 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival as part of The UK/Ukraine Season of Culture. Arts and culture play a vital role in bringing people together and it was a privilege to be able to provide Ukrainian creatives with an opportunity for their voices to be heard at a time when so many barriers and restrictions are being put in place.”
The production received its UK Premiere at the opening concert of hcmf// 2022, presented as part of the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture. It was a critically acclaimed performance, receiving ★★★★★ reviews from the Times and the Telegraph, and a recording of the occasion was broadcast for a month on BBC Radio 3. Having been presented across Europe and in the United States, the award-winning production continues to tour internationally.
About the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards
Regarded by many as the BAFTAs for classical music, the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards are classical music’s annual good news story, shining much-needed light on inspirational individuals, groups and initiatives whose music has lifted hearts and minds across the nation.
A registered charity, the Royal Philharmonic Society has been at the heart of music for over 200 years, supporting musicians and championing the vital role that music plays in all our lives. The Society’s tradition of recognising excellence among musicians dates back to the 19th Century with the presentation of Honorary Membership and the RPS Gold Medal which have been presented over the decades to the likes of Mendelssohn, Brahms, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Elgar, Strauss, Stravinsky, Bernstein and more recently Martha Argerich, Jessye Norman, George Benjamin, Marin Alsop and John Williams, among many others.
About the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture
The UK/Ukraine Season of Culture, developed jointly by the British Council and the Ukrainian Institute, ran from June 2022 to June 2023 in the UK and partly online. The events of the Season included artistic residencies, discussions, open forums, film, music, literature, performing and visual arts. The Season, which was planned from 2019 to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Ukraine, aimed to strengthen cultural relations and foster connections and collaboration between artists from both countries. Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Season’s theme of Future Reimagined was rethought to focus on the current needs and priorities of the Ukrainian cultural sector, giving Ukrainian artists the opportunity to be heard in the world.
The Opera and Music Theatre Award at the 2024 RPS Awards is supported by Wise Music Classical.